Concept Albums into Musicals: IP Adaptation Goldmine
The discussion around converting concept albums into stage musicals highlights a growing interest in cross-media intellectual property adaptation. This presents a strong commercial opportunity for production companies, creative agencies, music licensing firms, and scriptwriters to develop and market new theatrical experiences based on popular existing music narratives. There's a clear demand for innovative storytelling through established IP.
Origin Reddit Post
r/music
Which concept albums do you think would make the best stage musicals?
Posted by u/StarChild413•08/07/2025
Top Comments
u/monsantobreath
Parliament Funkadelic albums. Take your pick.
The stage shows in the 70s verged on it.
u/Upper_Produce881
2112
u/SkeetySpeedy
The Dear Hunter - *Act 1* all the way through *Act 5*
Is basically *is* a stage musical following one character from Birth to Death, with an extremely consistent narrative through line
It
u/baccus83
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips
Oh wait [that already happened.](https://youtu.be/vbujal3IcZM?si=lmQYaibfa4PcZdg9)
Then I guess my next vote goes to The Soft Bulletin.
u/TeaMugPatina
Oh, if you haven't given this one a spin, you have *no* idea.
And I came here to suggest this as well.
u/GruverMax
Skylarking
u/LawlzBarkley
Bowie's Diamond Dogs was originally planned as a 1984 musical but he couldn't get the rights. So that.
u/JaJaLoo617
The Black Parade, easy. Next question.
u/GoodDog2620
The Hazards of Love from The Decemberists
u/merkaba_462
The Downward Spiral.
u/mikecornejo
Alan Parsons Project!
u/reillyqyote
mewithoutyou - [Ten Stories](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mh95VVD3RFzltT-Wuk5ZhEWn86ORetFDE)
u/uncooljerk
Genesis’s ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ seems like a good choice based on the name alone.
u/McGrawHell
Not a full album but I would love to see an A24 movie made of The Ninth Wave which is the song suite that makes up the second side of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love - it's about the woman lost at
u/modix
Obviously Pinkerton. That's what it was based on and was intended to adapt.
u/counterfitster
Obligatory "2112 is not a concept album"